Can body making machine



E942. JNM. HOTHERSALL 2,304,825

I CAN BODY MAKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 14, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVE OR. w fir. BY @QLM (9 ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 15, 1942 UNITED, STATES PATENT oFFics CAN BODY MAKING MACHINE John M. Hothersall, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York. N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 14, 1940, Serial No. 370,225

6 Claims. (01. 219-4) The present invention relates to a container or can body making machine and has particular reference to making can bodies having bail ears welded to them and having welded side seams.

An oblectof the invention is the provision of a can body making machine wherein individual bail ears are welded to tubular can-bodies while the bodies are in processional order on the usual forming horn used in such machines so that the bail ears will be accurately positioned on the body in a more efficient and more economical manner, thus eliminating expensive separate bail ear handling and attaching operations.

Another object is the provision of such .a machine wherein the side seam of the can body is welded simultaneously with the welding of the bail ears so that both welding operations may be effected at the same station in the machine thereby combining high speed production and accuracy to produce a better product.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring tothe drawings:

Figure l is a part sectional, part elevational view of a machine embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the broken line 2-2 in Fig. l, with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram of the electrical circuits used in the machine; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a can body produced by the machine.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawings illustrate principal parts of a can body making and electric welding machine of they character disclosed in my United States Patent 2,047,964, issued July 21, 1936, on Electric welding.

In the machine, partially made tubular can bodies A of sheet metal, such as tin plate or the like, are advanced along a horn or mandrel ii (Figs. 1 and 2) in a step-by-step or intermittent manner by a reciprocating feed bar ii. The bodies shown in the drawings are preferably of cylindrical shape and in certain stages have their side seam edges unsecured, and spread apart adiacent the bottom of the horn for convenience in advancing the bodies along the horn, although the invention is equally well adapted to other shapes of can bodies. I

The horn ii is suitably supported in a frame it which constitutes the main frame of the machine. The feed bar i2 is disposed in a groove i4 formed in the horn or mandrel and is reciprocated in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine, preferably as disclosed in the above mentioned patent. Peed dogs I are carried in the feed bar at spaced intervals along its length for engaging behind the can bodies to advance them along the horn when the feed bar moves through a feeding stroke.

During the advancement of a can body A along the horn, it is moved into a welding station illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. At this station the lower portion of the horn is cut away and a pair of expanding sizing wings 3i extend down into this cut-away portion. The upper edges of the wings are rounded to form heads 22 and these heads operate in sockets 23 formed in the horn so that the wings may hinge outwardly.

The lower ends of the sizing wings 2i are connected by a tension spring 25. This spring draws the wings inwardly against an expander cam slide 2' disposed in notches 21 formed in the wings. This slide is formed with cam sections which operate against cooperating cam sections in the wing notches and is of the same construction and operation as disclosed in my above mentioned patent.

Hence when a can body A is shifted into the welding station the cam slide 28 is moved to expand the sizing wings II to the proper size for the can body. During this expanding operation the body is clamped to the horn so that it will not shift out of place. This is done by a clamp bar ll whichis disposed in a bearing block 82 on the main frame above the horn. The clamp bar is forced down against the body and the horn by a sliding wedge member 83 disposed in the bearing block I2. The wedge member is actuated in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine.

The sides of the clamped can body A are forced inwardly against the horn ii and the expanded sizing wings 2i to bring the can body to proper size and to overlap the side seam edges of the body. This is brought about by a pair of clamping wings I! which are located one on each side of the horn. Each clamping wing is mountedon a pair of near parallelogram levers 31, 38 so that the wing will move in substantially horizontally against the body. Lever 31 is mounted on a pivot screw 4i secured in a boss 42 formed on the main frame i3. Lever 8! is mounted on a pivot stud 43 threaded into a boss 44 formed on the main frame. The lever 30 is oscillated on the pivot screw by an arm 46 which is formed on the lever and which is actuated in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine.

While the can body A is thus held to size and clamped against the horn its overlapped side seam edges are secured together by electric welding to form a continuous hermetic side seam B (Fig.

4). This welding is preferably effected by an inside stationary welding'electrode l1 and an outside movable wheel or disc electrode 48.

The inside electrode 41 is preferably of the bar 2 aaoesas type and extends longitudinally of the horn and the machine. Hence when the slides move tobetween the lower ends of the sizing wings 2i, ward the horn ii the outer ear electrodes 1! enas best shown in Fig. 2. This electrode also exgage the flange part! the lowermost bail cars tends up into the cut-away portion or the born I in the chutes and press them against the can and engages against a laminated bus bar Ii 5 bodyAior the welding operation.

which is enclosed in a box insulator II. The in- These outer ear electrodes 18 cooperate with sulator, the bus bar, and the electrode are bolted similar sets of inner ear electrodes Ii which are to the horn by bolts 53 which extend through informed on inner electrode units 82 disposed insulating sleeves 54 so that the bus bar, and the side the horn. There are two oi these inner elecelectrode willbeentirely, insulated from the born. trode units and they are carried in insulating The bus bar extends back through the horn to a blocks 83 which are secured in the sizing wings place where it can be secured to a suitable source 2i. These inner electrode units are connected of electric energy without interference with the together by a wire H.

can bodies moving along the horn. Contact of the outer ear electrodes 18 with the The disc electrode II is preferably mounted inner ear electrodes Ii through the bail ears and on a rotor shaft 55 (Fig. l) which is carried in the can body interposed between them completes bearings 5! formed in a cradle H. The cradle a welding circuit which will be more fully exis carried in an electrode slide Bl disposed in a plained in connection with the wiring diagram runway 59 which extends longitudinally oi. the in Fig. 3. Electric energy passing through this horn ii and which is formed in the main frame 20 circuit welds the ears to the can body.

II. The slide is formed with a lug I which ex- After this bail ear welding operation the welded tends down through an opening '2 in the main can body is released by contraction of the sizing frame and connects with a link '8. The link wings I! and is thereupon advanced along the may be actuated in any suitable manner in time horn ii for vfurther operations. As the body with the other moving partsoi the machine. moves out oi the welding station the ears se- Hence when a can body A is sized and clamped cured to the body leave the chutes by way 01' to the horn ii the electrode slide l8 moves along openings N formed in the sides thereof. its slideway and thus rolls the disc electrode ll Provision i made to prevent the next above along'the overlapped and held side seam edges bail ears in the chutes from immediately falling of the can body. The electrode is connected to a down to their place in the bottom of the chutes suitable source of electric energy as will be more before the next following can body is brought fully explained in connection with the wiring into welding station. This is brought about diagram in Fig. 3. Hence the rolling electrode by movable holding or escapement lingers ll presses the edges of the can body against the inolvoted on lugs ll formed on the main side stationary electrode 41 and thus an electric welding current is transmitted through the can body edges and it is this current or energy that welds the edges together in the tight side seam B he einbefore mentioned.

The welding of the can body side seam is prefts erably eii'ected in one pass or movement oi the disc electrode along the seam. Alter such a pass or movement the electrode slide Bl remains at the end of its stroke until the next can body is brought into the welding station for welding. links 89 which may be operated in time with In this manner the necessity oi having the elee the other moving parts oi the machine. trode pass back on an idle stroke over a welded The welding circuits ior effecting e welding seam is eliminated. operations are p e e y divided into two simple During this welding of the can body side rated circuits although both circuits could a pair of bail ears C are brought into readily combined into one unitary circuit i1 position against the can ll 1. ed. These circuits comprise a side seam in place by a welding operation. W l ing circuit Y and an ear welding circuit Z ears are delivered into place 3); oi the body at a predetermined dicta The side seam welding circuit Y includes the the end of the body by was of oh stati y electrode 41 and the disc or movable ways 12. There are two oi e electrode 8. Th stationary electrode is coneach side oi the body and th nested by a wire iii to one side or the secondary horizontal'plane which extol: iigh voltage transformer ill. The other die of the sized body so th of the secondary is connected by a wire I" in the chutes may be alt-no electrode. The prim ry de or windcliainetrically opposed posit ins oi the transformer is connected by wires I,

Adjacent the terminal 5 $5 to a source of electric energy which may be a there is disposed an ear elec generator Hi8. having a pair f vertiggfly g Hence when the disc electrode 4| comes into These electrodes are in ii" so 8 Eemcnt with the overlapped side seam edges tom or the flange pert a cor; ,body and presses them against th gut. each chute. Such electrodes con 'i/ electrode 47, as hereinbeiore explained, ear electrodes and receive ele side seam welding circuit is closed and the by way of a flexible laminated bus a welding current from thetransiormer ll! passes nected with each. 4 j along the circuit. It is this current that welds The ear electrode units "ii are iletffl the side seam, as hereinbeiore explained. are insulated from horizontal slides it w The ear welding circuit Z includes the two erate in slideways 1! formed in the main e an; inner ear electrode units 82 which are connected is. The slides may be operated in any ogether by the wire 84 and the two outer car manner in time with the other moving icon-ride units II. In this circuit the outer ea are formed with spaced hook secllch engage under the bail ear next above cost one in each chute and this holds entire stack on each side until released by g of the respective fingers. This releases as car at a time in each chute [or attachthe can body in the welding station at Actuation of th fingers at the proper may be effected in any suitable manner as asoesas electrode units are connected by wires III, II: to the secondary side or winding of a low voltage transformer ill. The primary side or winding of the transformer is connected by wires III, III

to a suitable source of electric energy, such as for example, a generator i ll.

Hence, when the outer ear electrodes 18 of the units press the ear flanges against the can body, and the can body against the inner ear electrodes ll of the units 82 as hereinbeiore explained, th ear welding circuit Z is closed and the welding energy from the transformer Ill thereby passes along the circuit. It is this onergy that welds the ears to the body as hereinbefore explained.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement '01 the parts without departing from the spirit and scope oithe invention or sacrificing all or its material advantages, the form 'herelnbeiore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof;

I claim:

i, A machine tor producing tubular sheet metal can bodies having bail ears secured thereto, comprising a horn for supporting a can body at a welding station, movable sizing wings in th horn for expanding the can body to a predetermined size, means at said station for overlapping the side seam edges of the sized body, devices also at said station for delivering bail cars into position adjacent the can body, seam welding electrodes at the station for welding the overlapped edges of 4. A machine for electric welding side seams and boil ears on tubular sheet metal can bodies, comprising a horn for supporting a can body at a welding station, means for successively advancing said bodies on said horn toward said station, means for feeding bail ears to said station adjacent opposite sides of a positioned can body, means movably mounted on said horn at said station engageable with the interior body wall for sizing the can body to desired diameter for the reception of said ears and to align adjacent edges oi said body for a side seam, inner and outer seam welding electrodes at said station for electrically welding said aligned body edges in a side seam joint, inner and outer ear welding electrodes at said station on opposite sides of said horn, the inner of said ear welding electrodes being mounted on said sizing means, and means for moving said ear welding electrodes into welding association with a pair of oppositely dis- I posed positioned ears for welding the latter on the body into a hermetic side seam, inner ear welding electrodes secured in said sizing Wings in the horn, cooperating outer ear welding electrodes disposed outside said horn, and means ior supporting said outer ear welding electrodes and for moving them into welding engagement with the bail ears to secure the ears in place on the can body.

2. A machine or electric welding side seams and ball ears on tubular sheet metal can bodies, comprising means for advancing the can body toward a welding station, means for delivering bail ears to said station adjacent opposite sides of a positioned can body, means at said station for sizing the can body for the reception oi said ears and to align adjacent edges of said body for a side seam, and means at said station for electrically welding said side seam and the positioned ears on said body while the latter is momentarily at said station, to provide a completely welded can body.

3. A machine for electric welding side seams and ball ears on tubular sheet metal can bodies,

comprising means for advancing the can body toward a welding station, means for feeding bails inasingle operation.

said body while the body is momentarily at said station for the side seam welding operation.

5. A machine for electric welding side seams and bail ears on tubular sheet metal can bodies, comprising a horn for supporting a can body at awelding station, means for successively advancing said bodies on said'horn toward said station, a pair of spaced magazine chutes disposed at said station for delivering bail ears to adjacent opposite sides of a positioned can body, escapement devices associated with said chutes for individually releasing the delivered bail ears, means pivotally moimted on said horn engageable with an interior body wall at said station for sizing the can body to desired diameter for the reception oi said released ears and to align adjacent edges of said body for a side seam, inner and outer seam weldingelectrodes at said station for electrically welding said aligned body edges in a side seam ioint,linner and outer ear welding electrodes at said station on opposite sides of "said horn, the inner of said ear welding electrodes being carried by and movable with said sizing means, and means for moving said outer ear, welding electrodes into welding engagement ing said bodies on said horn toward said station,

means for delivering bail ears to said station adjacent opposite sides of a momentarily positioned can body, means movably mounted on said horn at said station engageable with the interior body wall for sizing the positioned body to desired diameter for the reception of said ears and to align adjacent edges of said body in a side seam, seam welding electrodes at said station for welding together the aligned edges of the body in a. hermetic side seam joint, ear welding electrodes at the station on opposite sides of said horn for welding a pair of delivered bail ears to said body, and electrical conducting means connecting with said seam and ear welding electrodes for substan JOHN M. HOTHERSAHI, 

